Give me a hug, not a text, say lonely Britons

The British, once known for their stiff upper lips, have shed their
reservations and now cannot stop hugging each other, according to new
research.

According to a new poll we now hug each other 13 times a day, or almost once every waking hour.

And what is more, those who suspect these are brief cursory hugs are apparently wrong.

The study found the average hug lasted for almost 10 seconds, enough for a proper squeeze with time to spare.

Linda Blair, an American clinical psychologist who has lived in Britain since the early 1970s, said last night she thought the nation's inhabitants were now more likely to show their emotions than in the past.

But she thought part of the reason was a very human reaction against our increasing reliance on remote communication.

"The reason people are hugging 13 times a day now is they miss that contact."

She explained: "Remember that humans spent a lot of time depending on others when they are little, more than any other animal. Babies recognise other people by smell before they can even see.

"Our brains are plastic and so we adapt as we get older, but we absolutely need contact with others."

Blair, author of books on psychological development, continued: "We believe that remote communication by phone or text is enough - but it isn't."

Increasing reliance on these channels meant people now felt "much more lonely than they did in the past", she argued.

"I'm not trashing technology, but there needs to be a balance."

The poll, conducted on behalf of Nivea, found the main reason people wanted a hug was simply for comfort.

Women were more likely to ask for a hug than men when feeling down, according to the research.

Those we most frequently turn to for hugs are our partners (69 per cent of responses) close friends (14 per cent) and mothers (nine per cent).

That does not stop women most wanting a hug from David Beckham, the good looking footballer, and men wanting one from Holly Willoughby, the attractive blonde television presenter. Presumably they just want a little comfort from them too.

Nonetheless, many Britons remain a little queasy about hugging outside the home, with one in seven saying such public displays of affection are often inappropriate.

Earlier this year Andy Croft, prinicipal of The Quest Academy in Croydon, even went as far as banning hugging at the south London secondary school, saying physical contact was "not allowed" because it was "often associated with poor behaviour or bullying".

The way in which we hug also suggests a little British reserve remains.

Britain's most popular hug, the survey found, was the slightly cautious 'handshake and lean', in which only the non-shaking hand does any hugging, with the less inhibited 'bear hug' only making it to second place.